II.

Land and Resources

The area of the former county of Avon is primarily a low-lying basin composed of Triassic and Jurassic rocks, rising to the southern margins of the Cotswold Hills in the north-east, and bounded on the south by the limestone range of the Mendip Hills. The Lower Avon River enters the area of the former county at Bath and cuts the spectacular Avon Gorge at Clifton, before flowing into the Severn estuary.

The area of former Avon has a generally moderate climate, tempered on the coast by marine influences. The average annual rainfall is about 760 to 1,000 mm (30 to 40 in).